BRIGHTLINGSEA Regent manager Tom Rothery felt “heads dropped” in his side’s 3-0 FA Cup defeat against Torquay United.

The Devon side progressed to the fourth qualifying round after goals from Jamie Reid, from the penalty spot, captain Asa Hall and Jake Andrews.

It brought the R’s cup journey to an abrupt end, following previous victories against Cambridge City and Egham Town.

But while quick to praise the National League South Gulls, Rothery admitted being disappointed with the way his side ended the game and felt they should have shown more “heart, guts and desire” when it became 2-0, in the 66th minute.

“It maybe sounds a bit harsh and brutal but I don’t think we gave the best account of ourselves,” said the R’s boss.

“I always knew the first half was going to be tough for the players, in terms of absorbing the game and occasion.

“As it went on, I thought we got better.

“We started getting the ball down and playing and that’s why we improved.

“At half-time we spoke to the players about being braver, getting on the ball and perhaps not paying so much respect to Torquay.

“I thought we did that for the first 15 to 20 minutes.

“We were unfortunate to hit the bar but when they scored their second, it was game over.

“That really disappointed me and I felt we needed to show more heart, guts and desire.

“It was like we’d accepted we were going to lose the game. You could feel the sense of deflation.

“It was always going to be tough to get back in the game but you’ve got to have a go. I don’t think we did that.

“You have to give Torquay credit.

“They’ve got real quality going forward and obviously they play a level higher than us.

“They got hold of the ball more and showed their quality.

“But I can’t help feeling disappointed because I want to win every game.”

Rothery said he started the day fully confident his side could cause an upset against former Football League side Torquay.

“I turned up expecting to win,” he said.

“Maybe I’m deluded but you have to have that belief in football, otherwise what’s the point in investing so much time and energy.

“I’m pleased with the run we’ve had and the prize money we’ve earned for the club, but I can’t help feeling disappointed right now.”

Rothery also took issue with the first-half penalty, awarded for an alleged foul by full-back George Keys.

“From my position, it looked really soft,” he said.

Despite the horrendous wet and windy conditions, the game was watched by a crowd of 470.

Regent have pocketed around £15,000 from their run in the FA Cup.

They would have put another £15,000 in the bank had they won on Saturday.